Olive Recipes

This is a simple beef recipe, as no marinating time is necessary. I selected a good quality piece of New York Sirloin steak that I thinly sliced and used for the wrapping. I created multiple layers by spreading shaved Asiago cheese, goat cheese (as the adhesive to the top covering) and arugula over the steak. Once the beef was rolled into a tight wrap, I sliced the log into small pieces, then pan-seared them.

As a reminder of the flavor of the beef pinwheels, I topped them with arugula Asiago pesto. Not only did it give a beautiful, striking color to the meat, it also paired wonderfully with the cauliflower puree I served on the side.

Our Thanksgiving table would be incomplete without vegetarian bread stuffing / dressing. I usually serve it as a side dish so it's a great accompaniment to meat and a main course for the vegetarians in my home.

For this version, I was inspired by green ingredients such as asparagus, zucchini, celery, artichoke, kale, Castelvetrano green olives and Havarti cheese with dill. I used olive bread, a small white onion and homemade vegetable broth I prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for the upcoming holiday. Give this "green" and healthy recipe a try; it might bring a new kick to your Thanksgiving menu.

Delicious food doesn't have to be heavy or rich in calories. Selecting ingredients wisely is the key to making these flavorful phyllo cup appetizers. Instead of using calorie-packed mascarpone cheese, I strained plain yogurt and combined the thick mixture with green and kalamata olives, roasted red bell peppers, garlic, lemon, curly parsley and extra-virgin olive oil. I also added tuna and an anchovy filet for extra brininess (you could omit them for a veggie version). The warm pan-seared Nabulsi cheese helped tie together the Mediterranean flavors of these fancy bites.

My philosophy is if you have to sacrifice flavor by using low-fat products, then don't eat it. I'd rather eat in small portions or not eat at all. Of course, eating the way we eat in our home means having to stay active all day. Juggling between my everyday tasks and my wonderful 21-month-old daughter gives me plenty of occasions to spend these calories.

Braiding is a fancy way to present stuffed bread. To get this recipe started, I prepared the dough and let it rest for a few hours. Once it's ready to roll, the sides of the resulting long rectangle are cut into long strands, filled with tapenade (or your favorite filling) then the bread is tied into a two-strand braid.

I used homemade tapenade made with kalamata olives, mustard and capers. I love the way the deep-purple color contrasts with the bread. The bread would also work well with hummus, guacamole, salsa or roasted bell pepper spread.

Writing my second cookbook, Banh Mi, which comes out this summer, reminded me how much I love baking bread (in the cookbook I show how to make an authentic Vietnamese baguette). Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread right out of your own oven.

Today, I made focaccia, which is an Italian flatbread that I topped with Mediterranean ingredients. I kept this version very simple by limiting the toppings to only olives and cheddar cheese. It tasted amazing!